Connecticut, U.S., Military Census, 1917

This database contains questionnaires from the 1917 Connecticut “Military Census.”

What You Can Find in the Records

The Connecticut “Military Census” was taken in 1917–1918 at the direction of the General Assembly with an eye to assessing manpower available for war and other resources in the state. The census included surveys on agriculture, factories, and even automobiles, but the forms included here are questionnaires filled out by men ages 16 and over. The census was much more than a simple name count, and these questionnaires asked for details in a number of areas:

• name
• post office address
• trade or profession
• age
• marital status
• number of dependents
• citizenship
• military service
• physical disability

They also asked men to report on various skills, including whether they could ride a horse or drive a team, ride a motorcycle, operate a wireless, handle a steam engine or a boat, or swim well.